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Hands Occupied

Contemporary yarn crafts by Heidi Gustad. Knitting, crochet, latch hook and macrame.

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Two Careers

January 21, 2015 4 Comments

Balancing Two Careers | HandsOccupied.com

Photo by Dan Hartley.

Last week I talked about my 2015 plans & goals in an uncharacteristically personal (and long, sorry!) post for me. Dare I do it again? One of my 2015 goals is to open up a little more and stay on top of reader questions and such, so in a first step toward keeping my word, this post is all about how I balance being a Librarian as well as a blogger/knitting designer.

The two questions I get in blog comments and emails, as well as last year’s reader survey, tend to be variations on “what’s it like being a librarian?” and “how do you handle two jobs?” I mean, the short answer to the second question is that I do both part time, sort of. I work 20 hours a week at an urban public library.* And I work most of the rest of the time working as a blogger and designer. That means doing photoshoots, emailing with brands, invoicing, writing blog posts, and designing DIYs and knitting/crochet patterns for magazines, books, etc. But if you’re looking for a more in-depth response, read on.

*I realize it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out which library I work at, but I gotta keep it profesh. I can’t go into too much specific detail about many of my experiences, particularly at my current job. The American Library Association Code of Ethics says:

We protect each library user’s right to privacy and confidentiality with respect to information sought or received and resources consulted, borrowed, acquired or transmitted.

This Code is where being a librarian is a bit like being a doctor or lawyer. Think of this as Librarian/patron confidentiality. :) With that in mind, here’s more on what the contemporary librarian does. 

DIY Library Pockets for Lending Your Personal Library or Kids' Play

tutorial

What being a 27-year-old Librarian is like

I work as a Teen Librarian, which means I work with all ages, but I am my library’s “expert” on working with people ages 12-18. I have a master’s degree in Library and Information Science, and years of work as a Library Assistant and Marketing Director on top of now being a Librarian for 2 years. I’ve almost always been the youngest person in my workplace, and at my first master’s-required job, I was the youngest Librarian by 34 years. (PS: That age gap is pretty unusual. My coworkers are currently all under 40.)

The 2015 library world is probably nothing like you’d image it. These days, the field is really competitive and requires a lot of outside professional development in addition to work experience, a positive personality, and the ability to understand people with every possible personal background or lifestyle you can imagine. I’ve worked in privileged communities (and hated it. so. much.), middle sized cities where 75% of the patrons we served were homeless or new Americans, and in a library branch located on a gang boundary (most favorite job ever by a landslide). Part of why I’ve been consistently employed is because I’m willing and able to work part time and have my master’s. But then I feel bad because it’s actually problematic for all the other young librarians in the field who are working PT because it’s what’s available, but paying off all their school debt without enough money.

A Beautiful Day to Read by Kids at the Library | HandsOccupied.com This happened IRL at my work. via instagram

I could probably write an entire book about all of the interesting, heartwarming or bizarre things I’ve experienced in just 5 years in this field, but this isn’t a librarian blog. Who knows? Maybe one day I’ll write a memoir with stories about the kind gangbangers, or the young army wife who needed someone to teach her how to check the news for stories about the Middle East. Or the retiree who walked to the library to do puzzles for 8 hours a day three days a week. She would get angry when we put out a puzzle completed too recently, and devised her own system for marking puzzles as recently completed, by the way! :)

The thing about this job that people don’t realize is that I have been blessed with so many beautiful, crazy, heartwarming, hilarious, and fascinating experiences because of it. When it comes down to it, my job, despite what anyone might think libraries are and do in 2015, is just to do my best to help people. The degree taught me how to handle the management aspects of libraries and how to effectively answer in-depth or academic questions, but being on the ground in the job is one of the most important, life-changing experiences I’ll ever have. If you think you don’t know what the world is really like, consider a job at a public library. Your eyes will be opened and your heart will be touched if you’re capable of even a modest amount of empathy.

Are these good reasons to do this job? I think so. It’s not for everyone, but I have a hard time seeing myself doing anything else with my non-bloggy/knitty time.

Heidi Knitting | HandsOccupied.com

And the job you’re all much more familiar with: this one!

This. This blog. These patterns (and others) are my other job. I’ve tended to view this as less of a job in the past, but it’s just as valid as being a Librarian, albeit less traditional. This gig is all about creativity and self teaching, but what both of my careers have in common is that they help people. At the library, I help people face to face and I sometimes help people with tremendous hurdles in front of them. People whose lives can be for-real changed by being introduced to a language learning or job hunting tool. Or even to a free email account! But through Hands Occupied I get to help people learn more about what I’m most passionate about.

Balancing Two Careers | HandsOccupied.com

working on a mini harry potter sweater pattern at Pitchfork last summer, via instagram

You heard me. I am, in fact, more passionate about my creative career than my bookish one. It’s taken me years and years to admit it, and then decide that’s okay. When you work with the public and get to help people and are good at it, but realize it’s not necessarily what you need to be doing with your whole life and nights and weekends and energy, you feel kind of like a dick. It’s feeling like you should apologize that you don’t have a limitless well of empathy and interpersonal energy to spend on improving the world. (I wonder if social workers and teachers in particular deal with this too?) For the longest time I was telling myself I was working part time because that was the job that was available (see above note on the problematic part-time-with-a-master’s thing). And I enjoyed blogging, which led to making some money to help assuage my guilt about contributing less money to my household. I also loved it because I was learning about web design, photography, designing DIYs and patterns other crafters could successfully use, etc.

But then I realized there were full time jobs in my field I could probably get – and dun dun DUN! I didn’t want them. Being confronted with how much I’d have to give up if I worked full time as a librarian was a big reality check. It’s funny that when I was busy making plans about how to make my full time library career happen, my business grew to a point where I loved it and didn’t want to give it up. I love the empowering feeling of knowing I have monetized my passion in a way that enables me to still love it and justify getting to spend so much time on it. None of this means I want to stop being a librarian though, either. I love that too, but in a different way. And between the two careers, I’m able to cobble enough together to feel like I’m contributing to my household without feeling like some kind of kept woman. Having two jobs requires a lot of compartmentalizing and definitely working more than 40 hours a week, but I don’t think I’d have it any other way. At least for now! :)

Balancing Two Careers | HandsOccupied.com

Storm really needed some attention when I was blogging one night. via instagram

Filed Under: Life Tagged With: ask me anything, design work, Knitting, librarian, life work balance, lifestyle

About Heidi

Heidi Gustad is a craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. She specializes in knitting, crochet, latch hook and macramé, and her first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is out now!

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Comments

  1. Heidi O

    January 21, 2015 at 1:23 pm

    Thank you for sharing more of your life with us. I have been following your blog for a while and very much appreciate your patterns and info on the yarn arts. I worked in my university library while attending college many, many years ago. I am sure it is much, much different now. ;)

    Reply
  2. Joan Trautwein

    January 22, 2015 at 3:28 pm

    Your blog is interesting, fun to read, informative and extremely helpful. Your tutorials are terrific and your ideas are inspiring. You seem to be a very organized and thoughtful person that enjoys what you do, so please keep doing it your way, I like it very much. Thank you.

    Reply
    • Heidi

      January 22, 2015 at 7:09 pm

      Aww, thank you, Joan! I really appreciate that.

      Reply
  3. Denise

    January 22, 2015 at 3:56 pm

    I just started following your blog. I love it and totally relate to your work and contributing dilemma. I have my Masters in Education and I love teaching but currently I teach knitting through volunteer gigs. I receive so many rewards from it and will probably never give it up.

    Reply

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Heidi Gustad from Hands Occupied / Craft Book Author and Knitting, Crochet, Latch Hook and Macrame Designer

Hi! I’m Heidi, an author, yarn craft designer and content creator specializing in knitting, crochet, latch hook & macrame. My work unapologetically features primary colors and vintage-meets-modern style. My first book, Latch Hook: 12 Projects for the Modern Maker, is now available!

Professionally I’m most known for: advanced intarsia knitting design & modern latch hook design.

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Craft book author & content creator in love with primary colors & vintage vibes. / #latchhookbook out now!
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knitting, crochet, latch hook & macramé

Heidi Gustad 🧶✂️
A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how A new YouTube tutorial is live today covering how to knit the Little Butterfly Stitch (aka Bowknot Stitch). It adds so much cute character to simple stockinette. Only a little funky to knit, and it packs a huge visual punch! 🦋 
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Find the video & written stitch pattern on the blog and YouTube, links are in bio. 
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#kpambassadorsfeb21 #sponsored
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Yarn: @kelbournewoolens Germantown in Baby Blue via @knit_picks. Needles: Prism Interchangeables, also from Knit Picks. 
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Pictured: a light blue swatch of Little Butterfly Stitch knitting on a pink background. A skein of yarn and a few stitches of knitting are nearby.
“You’re telling me words can be pronounced in “You’re telling me words can be pronounced in different ways and mean the same things?!” 👀 Posting this here, just to make it clear: when anyone says skayne, skeen, or skyne, it can be safely assumed we’re talking about a bundle o’ yarn,  a SKEIN. It’s not necessary to shame someone for using a word that is known to have MULTIPLE common pronunciations. 🧶
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Can you plz comment sharing how you say SKEIN and where you learned it? The OED happens to say SKAYNE, but it’s not a personal attack if someone says SKEEN and you say SKYNE or even Saskatoon. I’m legitimately curious. We don’t all knit or crochet the same way, and craft evolves a bit like language - it is passed on. There is so much value in having conversations about & embracing these variations! ✌🏻
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Pictured: A blond woman holds a skein of mustard yellow yarn up to her head like a phone, looking shocked. She’s wearing glasses & a knit sweater. 
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#handsoccupied #heidigustad #skein #yarn #yarncraft #knit #crochet #yarnaddict #knitincolor #soldotnacrop #language #englishisweird #oed #oxfordenglishdictionary
Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather Sometimes my weekend projects involve hair rather than yarn. Here’s the latest mediocre-but-improving result of my slow quest to learn to set vintage inspired curls. 💇🏼‍♀️ I’m hoping to be able to wash my hair less using a regular vintage set, but we’ll see if it ends up being practical. 😆 Hair frustrates me so much more than crafts! 
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Do you also style your hair using vintage methods? If you have any tips for vintage hair styling or good resources to share, please do!
I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn colo I suppose this is one way to decide what yarn color suits your pooch. 😆 Navy really might be Woodrow‘s color - what do you think? 
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Pictured: A medium sized, brown, senior dog asleep on a green bed. For some reason a donut ball of navy wool yarn sits on his head.
The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live The first stitch tutorial of the new year is live on YouTube! Diamond Brocade is a great knit+purl only stitch for beginners or anyone wanting a classic look for their knitting project. Find the video with a written stitch pattern on the blog or head directly to the video on YouTube. Both are linked in bio. ✌🏻 
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